1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of chamfering, beveling and finishing stone facing and other building materials, particularly with a hand tool.
2. Related Art
Millions of square yards of facing material are currently installed in buildings throughout the world. Marble, granite and sometimes synthetic composite materials are currently mounted both on the inside and outside of buildings in order that they may present an aesthetically pleasing surface of the building. The facing material is installed and mounted in sections. The sections have seams between them and, at the corner of the building, the edges of the facing materials on the adjacent walls will be finished, in most cases, usually with a bevel or chamfer. The bevel is usually at an angle to the main surface of the facing material.
During initial installation facing materials, large slabs of granite, marble or composite material are received from a mill, or supplier, and mounted in place with fasteners. The bevels along the edges of the facing are traditionally created at the mill. Because the slabs are typically large and heavy, the bevel is usually created with a large piece of equipment, typically mounted on a table. U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,645 to Takigawa et al. illustrates an example of such equipment.
Like any material, marble and granite are subject to wear and tear. Along the edges, chipping becomes a problem through years of use. Accordingly, workmen are periodically required to refinish installed materials, particularly the edges and beveling of facing slabs, which tend to become chipped.
While a great many of grinding tools are available in the market place, they currently must be hand guided. For stone and composite material, chamfering and beveling equipment having adequate guides for a more precise chamfering are currently only available on large, heavy fixed table mounted tools. There is a need in the art for a hand held chamfering tool with guides to promote a consistent and precise bevel for work on facing materials installed in situ.